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Monday, December 29, 2008

It's quilted...for extra softness

Whoo! Christmas week is finally over and life returns to semi-normality. Husband-man was home all week, and thank god because as soon as the week started I got knocked down by another 4-day migraine (yep, Christmas day too). So he spent his week playing mommy while I lay in a dark room moaning and contemplating the mechanics of self-induced head removal. I met with my new boss on Monday (just before the migraine hit - quite possibly a sign from the universe that I just did something dumb by taking this job) and realized that I was gonna be needing me a part-time nanny toot sweet (that's French for "right the fuck now"). Placed an ad on Craigslist on Wednesday, interviewed candidates over the weekend, hired one last night - and she starts tomorrow. I love the internet. Of course, the new job brings in just enough money to pay for the new sitter with very little left over, but the whole point of this endeavor is to give me a break from the 24/7 job of being a mommy for at least a few hours a week. Mama loves her babies but Mama needs a leeetle more intellectual stimulation in her life or she is going to keel over from brain atrophy.

So, today, while Itty Bit was napping, and in between Biggie Bit's requests for snacks, drinks, and entertainment, I finally finished the damn scarf I'd been wanting to make. I can't even remember now where I had seen a quilted scarf and thought, "Hey, I could totally do that!" But see one I did, and in one of those fits I get where I buy a whole shitload of something, thinking it's going to be the perfect thing - and such a bargain! - I bought a ton of sweatshirt fleece on Etsy. Then I started cutting up a bunch of fat quarters, sewed them together, and sewed them to a long strip of the sweatshirt fleece. Once I turned it inside out, I figured I'd just topstitch around the edge of the whole thing, but then I thought that even that wouldn't really be enough to keep it from rolling and getting out of shape, so I decided to stitch each rectangle individually. I even had a moment of clarity and used pink thread for the top and white thread in the bobbin. It then occurred to me that this was kinda, sorta, almost quilting. And that was a lovely thought, no matter how glorified it actually was.

Wow! Just got turned onto your blog by a friend - actually she teaches at my quilt store in Toronto! She sent me the link to your Quilt Binding Tutorial and we have been wetting ourselves reading it! No truer words were ever printed. We've put a link to that posting to share it with our customers....as I'm sure they can all relate.

Just recently found your site. I love how you put things - straight and to the point without mincing any words! The scarf you made and could not remember where you seen it was probably from "Blogging Near Philadelphia"